Michael Bowman, project engineer, said the desire to continue to offer increased efficiency and lower costs to its customers prompted construction of a warehouse dedicated solely to secure storage. The state-of-the-art warehouse, manufactured by ClearSpan Fabric Structures, consists of a polymer canvas membrane stretched across a galvanized steel frame, on a concrete foundation. The fabric for the warehouse arrives in long rolls; installation begins on one side of the warehouse as the fabric is rolled over the top of the curved foundation to the opposite side, then is pulled tight.

Custom Processing Services had rented trailers when additional storage was needed. Storing materials in existing buildings was encroaching upon production space, and height restrictions limited stacking, Bowman said. Moving materials in and out of storage trailers increased the possibility of contamination.

The new warehouse increases Custom Processing Services’ capacity for larger orders, and customers also will benefit from added flexibility in scheduling. Pallets of materials may be stacked three high, increasing storage capacity to 490 additional pallet spaces, or 1,470 additional pallets.

Quality control improves by moving stored materials off the production floor, and by reducing the need to move materials from one building to another multiple times. Equipping forklifts with remote control door openers, requiring the warehouse doors to be open for only a few seconds, keeps the elements out of the warehouse. A specially designed foundation prevents water infiltration. The durable polymer fabric is designed to withstand wind and snow, Bowman said, and has been used in similar situations in severe weather areas such as Alaska.

The benefits to this style of structure, in comparison to a traditional metal or concrete block building, Bowman said, are faster installation and lower construction costs. The warehouse is environmentally friendly as well, saving energy while reducing operating expenses. Motion sensors control the LED lighting, so that lights will be on only when the building is occupied. The LED bulbs light instantly, as opposed to high-pressure sodium bulbs, and last longer. Ventilation built into the warehouse, which will not be heated or cooled, regulates temperatures.

Custom Processing Services handles materials from the technical ceramic industry as well as minerals, metals, refractory and recycled products. Its management system is registered to the ISO 9001:2014 standard by SAI Global. The East Greenville facility is located at 461 State Street in the borough of East Greenville, PA 19464. East Greenville is in Southeastern Pennsylvania with easy access to the PA Turnpike. The CPS site also has a rail siding for large campaigns.